Bravado
by nutellatacos
Summary: Sydney decides to keep her promise and be the one to leave. Post “Crossings” oneshot


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A/**N**: I was mad at Vaughn, and even though my hate wasn't too rational, nine months later, this fic was born. :p J/K I really just wanted to punish him just a little tad.. For hugging Lauren after (almost!) Telling Syd that he loves her. Again, I never write angst, but when the muses smile down on me, I'll get back to my marshmallow fluff. It's a requirement for every S/V shipper to write a warehouse scene too, isn't it? A big whopper of a dedication goes out to little Sano who peeled oranges for me as I wrote this fic. :P Don't ask.

Timeline: Post-Crossings and the hug-that-should-not-have-happened. Starts off at the end of debrief.

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Archive: FF.net and eventually SD-1, CoverME and Allies, but ask and you shall receive.

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Summary: After seeing Vaughn with Lauren, Sydney decides to keep her promise and be the one to leave. Post "Crossings" [1/1]

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, the name was Julina, not JJ. If I had the power though.. :grins evilly: There's a part of a line from "Almost Thirty Years" and "Crossings" too which I also do not own..

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Br**a**v**a**d**o**

"Is there anything else?"

Sydney sat up in her seat before fixing her gaze on him.

"Would you like to add something to that, Agent Vaughn?"

She could feel glances come in her direction, but she ignored them as she watched the confusion that covered his face. She couldn't remember the last time she had called him that or if she had ever at all. The formality in her tone took him off guard and she could tell- it was evident in his facial expression. She knew that she was acting like a six-year old, but she didn't care- not at this particular moment anyway.

"Uh.. That- that about covers it." He stammered

She looked at Dixon pleading with her eyes to be allowed to leave, as she had since the moment she entered the room. He seemed to get the hint when he spoke, careful to choose his words wisely. "Well then I think that week off is in order.. I know you two more than deserve it."

After stealing a glance at her father, she left the room; not too quickly because that would make them suspect something, but not too slowly because that would mean she was lingering for some reason that was usually him. As she pushed the doors to exit Dixon's office, she received a few smiles. Some were out of pity because everyone knew her situation but some were meant to comfort her.

None of their smiles could do that though.

The only person that had that power was the only one that couldn't do it anymore.

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"How could you be so naïve?"

It was a question that circled her head since they had come back. She was naive enough to think that he would leave Lauren for her just like that. Naïve enough to think that it meant that he never stopped loving her. Naïve to think that this meant a change.

That was just the six-year old in her thinking though.

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Sydney felt a hand on her arm as she turned to leave the center. She only stopped short of verbal attacks when she realized that it was Weiss. She shook her head sighing.

"Weiss, don't. Please. I don't need it from you."

"It's funny you automatically jump to that." He said with a grin. "I was just going to mention that there'll be a beer and a slice of pizza for you at my place.. if you want it."

Her face softened slightly. "Thanks." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "That means a lot to me, Eric."

He nodded as turned around to leave.

She was amazed at how clued in he had been a lately. She knew that it must be hard for him; being a great friend to her, yet loyal to Vaughn. Sydney stopped her thoughts- had it come to that? Having trouble sharing a friend?

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She started her car, not knowing where she was going at first, but her thoughts strayed to the only place that she would have with Vaughn and the only place that he could never have with Lauren.

It was much dustier than she remembered but Sydney figured that's what more than two years could do to a place. She pulled the gate aside and let herself into the warehouse. _Their _warehouse.

The cluster of boxes had moved and some how, she wasn't surprised that she could remember how they looked the last time they were here. She spotted a crate placed against the chain link fence; one of the only ones not caked with dust. Sydney sat down slowly to collect her thoughts. Just being in the warehouse brought the memories back to her. She could hear the laughs echoing in against the walls.. She could taste all the tears she shed here and feel all the hugs he given her to take them all away.

Another tear rolled down her cheek without her knowledge. In her insanity, she laughed. Vaughn wasn't here to wipe _this_ tear away.

She gathered her knees to her chest and allowed her tears to flow freely down her cheek as she put her head down. Between her quiet sobs she heard the click of shoes on the concrete floor. She knew those footsteps...

A flush of air blew her side slightly as she felt Vaughn sit beside her on the crate.

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Speak of the devil.

"How did you find me?" she said softly. She didn't look up- she didn't think she could handle that.

"Well, you told me a while ago that when you feel the need to disappear, you go to the observatory, but it was closed. Then I remembered that you said that the pier calms you down, but you weren't there. And you weren't at the palisades or bluffs either. The train station was empty so, this was my last destination." He looked at her for some kind of approval. as she realized the familiarity of those words. She stayed silent though, refusing to give in to what he wanted.

"This is the part of the conversation where you tell me that I didn't look in all of those places." He said with a slight chuckle in his tone.

She caught herself before the smile appeared on her face. Their situation struck her suddenly. She looked up after a moment and turned to face him. A small smile was playing on his face and it was the same one he always had on his face when he knew she was angry. Even the patented Michael Vaughn smile couldn't make her forget about this.

"Does Lauren know that you're here?" She almost regretted her words when his expression dropped.

He didn't respond at first. Nodding slowly, he looked away from her. "So that's what this is about..." His voice trailed off. If there had been any understanding between them in the past few minutes- even if it was meager- it was gone. The thick silence of the past few months embodied the moment again. She let her thoughts drift to the conversation they had had on the plane. _'When we get back, one of us has to go.'_

She had said it without much thought and only a small part of her had actually meant those words. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she heard Vaughn take another sharp breath.

"Syd, look I..."

She cut him off; she was too afraid of what he would have said if he didn't. "Tomorrow, I'm meeting with Dixon." She turned away again. "I'm going to request a transfer." she added softly.

"A transfer?"

"I know there's a division down in-"

"Have you thought about this at all?"

The tears that had dried threatened to reappear again. She couldn't get herself to face him. Her voice was wavering as she spoke. "Maybe you live like this, but I can't. Not anymore."

"Live like what, Syd? In a new office, with new people who wouldn't give a crap if you were in trouble in a mission or if you-"

"And what could _you_ do about it if I was in trouble? Ask the wife if it was all right to get your hands a little dirty? If it was okay to save the ex-girlfriend that shattered her dreams of 2.5 kids with a picket fence?" After a second, she scoffed and spoke again with a bitter edge to her voice. "Lauren'll just have a nice little laugh.."

"She's making an effort with you and you know that." he said slowly through clenched teeth.

"So over dinner we'll all be best friends everything will all be okay." The same bitter tone took her voice as she let her anger get the best of her.

Vaughn opened his mouth to talk again, but he shut after a moment of thought. Sydney stood up with out meeting his eyes. Another tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke. "I don't know how long it'll take to get approved so I- I guess I'll be seeing you then."

She couldn't see his reaction, but she didn't want to. She walked away, letting Michael Vaughn look on for once.

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A/**N**: I'm mean and I know it. :D But for the record, I still love Vaughn. I you feel bad about reading this ficlet and not paying for it, you can redeem yourself by giving me a nice, constructive review; then everyone's happy! 0


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